Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 420
Today, March 7, is the commemoration of two early Christian martyrs: Perpetua and Felicity. They were residents of Carthage in North Africa and died in 202 A.D. In that same year, the emperor Septimius Severus forbade conversions to Christianity. Perpetua, a noblewoman, Felicity an enslaved woman, and other companions were all catechumens (preparing for baptism in the Christian faith). They were imprisoned and sentenced to death. In prison they were baptized. Perpetua’s father, who was not a Christian, visited her in prison and begged her to l...
As we seek to follow Jesus Christ and walk the path of discipleship, line upon line, the day will come that we will experience that unimaginable gift of receiving a fullness of joy. As we nurture and prepare our children, we allow for their agency, we love them with all our heart, we teach them God’s commandments and His gift of repentance and we never, ever, give up on them. After all, isn’t this the Lord’s way with each of us? Young men and young women, as you grow older, making fun of others can evolve very dangerously. Anxiety, depre...
I was able to celebrate one year of being in Seeley Lake the first of January. I’m not sure where the year has flown to, but despite my best efforts it has come and gone and though in many ways I am still a stranger here, I am feeling right at home. Scotland is still a beloved part of my life, and still, I have many connections each week back to Brechin. It is a challenge at times to be American, then Scottish and now trying to become American again. Then try to add the twist of becoming a Montanan. So, who am I really? I have been preaching t...
"For as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man … they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark [where just eight were saved as they continued preparations for forty days, a metaphor for gestation, anticipating new beginnings, a rebirth of humanity] … the flood came and [all others perished because of wickedness, evil, corruption, lawlessness, and depraved lives, see Genesis 6:5-11 ]. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man … Therefore, [be prepare...
I read a story recently about a woman who looked out her window and noticed something beautiful: sunlight glistening on moist leaves. Immediately prior to this, the day was very gloomy, as was her mood. But that brief moment of light reminded her of beauty and she recognized it as a sacred gift. I need this kind of reminder again and again. The reminder to lift my gaze and pay attention to all the wondrous beauty and goodness, to those moments of light breaking through, moments of kindness unexpectedly shown, moments of joy and laughter...
Have you ever felt far from God? When the Israelites were in exile before the coming of Jesus, they were far from the dwelling place of God as he chose to dwell among them in the temple. Even though we are in an age of God dwelling with and among us, I often put myself in exile from God’s presence by removing myself from him in difficult times. I’m sure many of you do the same. Today I’d like to challenge all of us to turn our affections toward Christ and to find our deepest satisfaction in hi...
Luke 2:17 And when they (the Shepherds) saw it (Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger), they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child (from the heavenly host). 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. Mary and Joseph now have a three-day old baby boy. He came into the world in quite a fuss. The Birth announcements was not cute cards with the picture of the newborn and the new family with length and weight duly...
Christmas, especially an American Christmas, is “a many splendored thing.” It engages the imagination and the heart. And while it is a Christian feast – celebrating the birth of Christ - unlike other Christian feasts, it is celebrated not just by Christians but by just about everyone. And in America we start celebrating it right after Halloween! We celebrate it with fanfare and great expectations. What is an “American Christmas?” There is some myth: Santa Claus, reindeer and Christmas elves for starters. Santa Claus has his origins in a real...
In a world where darkness is ever increasing, light will always continue to shine. That light, which brings our hope and happiness, comes because of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. “Jesus Christ is the light of the world because he is the source of the light which ‘proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space.’ His light is ‘the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world.’ “… His example and his teachings illuminate the path we should walk....
Thanksgiving has come and gone; it is time to start reflecting on the Advent Season. After 21 years in Scotland, the Lectionary became a part of my Advent season build up to Christmas. I wish I could do the whole of the Advent writing to build the beauty of the incarnation. Ultimately Christmas is about the incarnation and God coming in the flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ, on our behalf. I have not always been a big fan of Christmas. The commercialism and ‘sell, sell, sell’ being the mantra does my head in. Och aye, this is why year aft...
As Advent begins, may we reflect upon Jesus, our Savior, who by the riches of God’s grace took on flesh by being born of the Blessed Virgin to be the perfect blood sacrifice for our redemption and for the forgiveness of sins (see Ephesians 1:7). By contemplating God’s holy word, praying daily, and filling our souls with sacramental grace through His Church, let our belief and repentance grow virtues of faith, hope, and love to produce the fruit of joy and peace. “...God our Savior who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of...
One of the primary struggles for the church today is an ancient struggle. This struggle is about power, specifically, confusion about divine power. Divine power as displayed in the life and ministry of Jesus is about power with others, power for others. It has a communal focus, a shared-life-together focus. The purposes of divine power are to create, to transform, and to liberate. This divine power is most evident in the person and work of Christ. The person and work of Christ is concerned with abundant life for all. Christ’s power, divine p...
Admiral Horatio Nelson is one of England’s greatest heroes, yet his fame was gained not only due to his strengths, but arguably even more so from his weaknesses. Having lost his mother at the age of nine, he began his military career at the age of 13 as an ordinary seaman. From his first day at sea through the rest of his life, he would suffer from constant seasickness. His frailness also left him susceptible to other illnesses, contracting yellow fever, recurring bouts with malaria, and an unidentified debilitating sickness in the West I...
In my last article I said I wanted to do a small series looking at the armor of God from Ephesians 6:10-18. Last time I wrote about the sword of the spirit and the shield of faith. This time I would like to take a look at the helmet of salvation and the shoes that Paul describes in this way: “your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” So what do these two pieces of armor look like historically and how do they help us understand the spiritual implications Paul is ad...
John Wesley once said to his preachers: “How dare you lead people to Christ without providing adequate opportunity for growth and nurture? Anything less is simply begetting children for the murders.” I like the way Hebrews 3:12-13 puts it. ‘See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.’ Pretty hard to encourage one another when you see them only...
Two big events recently are the Afghan earthquake and the Israel/Hamas conflict. There is still the Ukraine situation ongoing but out of the spotlight for the moment. Sadly, the devastation in the earthquake has been overshadowed by the Israel/Hamas conflict. The death toll will probably never be known as the area is burying the dead almost as fast as they are found. Prayers for the Afghan people in that area are most appropriate. Honestly, I’m not sure where to start with a response. Perhaps best to start with the problem, it’s that crazy old...
To be humble is to recognize gratefully our dependence on the Lord—to understand that we have constant need for His support. Humility is an acknowledgment that our talents and abilities are gifts from God. It is not a sign of weakness, timidity, or fear; it is an indication that we know where our true strength lies. We can be both humble and fearless. We can be both humble and courageous. Jesus Christ is our greatest example of humility. During His mortal ministry, He always acknowledged that H...
I bought a used snowblower on a 78 degree day. End of summer in Montana, I think we spend six months planning for winter and six months living winter. Everyone is buying, cutting, splitting and stacking firewood in anticipation of snowy cold weather. Amazing. Last week it was 9-11, a day that lives in our memories and we all have stories to tell about where we were and thoughts evoked as the news got out. After that day, the thoughts that have woven their way throughout our society and way we live, are interesting to contemplate. There are...
As references I will be using the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church as resource material. What did Jesus say? Jesus said, “I solemnly assure you, no one can enter into Gods kingdom without being begotten of water and Spirit” (John 3:5). At the ascension, Jesus said, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). Jesus commanded the apostles, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. T...
Languages and words have always fascinated me. The way one word in one language is not easily translatable in another language. The way words are not merely words. The way we communicate with more than our speech or our writings. In high school and college the Spanish language held my attention. In seminary it was Greek and Hebrew. Creole when traveling to Haiti; Norwegian when traveling to Norway. I have come to understand that language is more so much more than words. This was made even more clear to me recently when listening to the Irish...
Elijah was a man strong and faithful in serving God, even standing up against 450 pagan priests at one point. After this, Queen Jezebel was so enraged that she sent her armies to find and slay him. Yet as strong as his faith was, even he knew fear upon hearing of this, falling into deep disconsolation and despair. It was at this point that he was told to, “Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the L...
I’ve spoken much on the importance of the local church, but I’ll keep harping on the topic. In this article and a few more to come, I want to focus on the armor of God. Specifically for this article, I’ll be focusing on the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit. Ephesians 6:16-17 reads: “Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” When Paul wrote thi...
One only has to read a paper or listen to the evening news to see what events are taking place. It’s getting pretty wild out there. Morally America is bleeding and sinking into depravity. Psalm 12:8 says, “the wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.” And of course the climate is changing. Everything is blamed on climate change. Some people think man can control the climate by doing away with fossil fuels. I think I will go with Him who created the climate in the first place. Men will never control disasters, acts of Go...
In 2 Chronicles 6:1 Solomon said, “The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud.” Did you know that Jesus started His ministry in a dark place? When Jesus was choosing His disciples, Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote-- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. (John 1 45-46) Nazareth was in the region of Galilee and was considered backward. Isaiah called t...
“What is peace?” Some might say: “Peace is the absence of war;” “Peace is freedom from turmoil;” “Peace is the avoidance of hostility;” “Peace is the termination of anxiety,” and so on. Some people think that peace is nirvana, but this word can mean death, or at least a state of feelinglessness. Is peace just a form of anesthesia? Is peace merely the cessation of pain? If so, why do we long for it so? We should want peace to convey something positive, something that improves our lives. We should be concerned about what peace is, rather th...
